PC World Interactive 1/PC World Interactive 1 - Nisan 1997.iso/nostalji/bbs/faq/cisfaq.txt

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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!spool.mu.edu!usenet.eel.ufl.edu!news.mathworks.com!uunet!news.inhouse.compuserve.com!news.production.compuserve.com!news
From: Paul Oakes <[e-mail]>
Newsgroups: alt.online-service.compuserve
Subject: CompuServe FAQ updated 11APR95
Date: 11 Apr 1995 16:22:11 GMT
Organization: via CompuServe Information Service
Lines: 424
Message-ID: <3meabj$get$[e-mail]>

This document is an attempt to respond to many of the questions raised in
alt.online-services.compuserve.

This FAQ will be posted monthly.  If there's a topic I've missed that you'd
like to see included please drop a note to me via the address listed at the
end of this article.

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                        Table of Contents

0.0   Changes from previous FAQ

1.0   What is CompuServe?

2.0   Accessing CompuServe

3.0   Exchanging Mail with CompuServe members
3.1   CompuServe Information Service Subscribers
3.15  Sending from CompuServe to Internet
3.2   Private CompuServe Mail Clients
3.3   LAN Mail Hub Clients
3.4   Unaccessible Addresses
3.5   CompuServe Member Directory

4.0   How to get help from CompuServe
4.1   For CompuServe Information Service Subscribers
4.2   From the internet
4.3   By telephone

5.0   CompuServe and the Internet
5.1   World Wide Web and PPP
5.2   FTP
5.3   telnet
5.4   Coming attractions
6.0   WinCIM
7.0   Comments

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0.0 Changes from previous FAQ

This FAQ was updated on 11APR95.

Information regarding CompuServe's newly released PPP access was added.
New pricing information for Internet services was included.

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1.0 What is CompuServe?

For more than 20 years, CompuServe, Inc., has been the international leader in
affordable online information, software and communications services for the
public.

More than 2 million personal computer users in 120 countries use their modems
to tap into nearly 2,000 databases.

You may logon to professional reference databases, "chat" online with other
members, advice for your newest software.  You can breeze through detailed
financial updates, contact clients through an expansive electronic mail network
and finalize travel reservations--all from your terminal, 24 hours a day.

In addition the the CompuServe Information Service, CompuServe Incorporated
provides electronic mail, frame relay, wide and local area networking services
and software to major corporations and government agencies worldwide.

CompuServe is an H&R Block company.

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2.0 Accessing CompuServe

If you have access to the Internet you can connect to CompuServe by opening a
connection to CompuServe.com. The following settings are important:

        The escape sequence should be turned OFF.
        Terminal emulation should be VT100.
        You should open a BINARY connection.
        Pressing your [ENTER] key should transmit both a carriage return -and-
                a linefeed.

There is no communication surcharge for using the telnet gateway.  Extended
service charges and surcharges will, of course, still be in effect when you
enter those areas.

Please do -not- ask Customer Service for the numeric IP address.  They have
been instructed not to release this information.

If for some reason you choose not to telnet into the service, CompuServe
offers free local access phone numbers in most major metropolitan areas in the
US and Canada.  If there is not yet a local CompuServe node in your area,
there may be a local network access number available for an affordable fee,
rather than paying long-distances telephone charges.  Tymnet and Sprintnet,
the networks most commonly used by CompuServe to provide local telephone
numbers in areas it does not have nodes, are offered at a charge of $11.70 per
hour during prime time (8 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time) to "rent" the line.  This
charge plummets to $1.70 per hour from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday
and all day weekends.

Phone numbers are listed on CompuServe in the GO PHONES area.

They can also be searched by calling 1-800-346-3247 (modem) and entering
PHONES at the Host Name: prompt.  Set your communication software to E-7-1.

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3.0 Exchanging Mail with CompuServe members

CompuServe's electronic mail gateway to the Internet allows CompuServe
subscribers to exchange mail with over 15 million Internet users, as well as
other online services.

The three types of CompuServe Mail addresses that can be reached from the
Internet are as follows:

3.1 CompuServe Information Service Subscribers

CompuServe members have an address (a.k.a. User ID) of the form "xxxxx,yyyy",
such as "74906,1610".  To send mail to such an address from the Internet,
change the comma to a period and attach "@CompuServe.com".  For instance:

        [e-mail]

3.15 Sending from CompuServe to Internet

CompuServe members simply need to enter the Internet address in the format:

INTERNET:[e-mail].


3.2 Private CompuServe Mail Clients

Members of organizations with a private CompuServe Mail area have an address
of the form "organization:name", such as "ABC:J.SMITH".  To send mail to such
an address from the Internet, send it to "[e-mail]".
For instance:

        [e-mail]

A few organizations also include a department in the form "organization:
department:name", such as "ABC:ACCTG:JOHN".  To send mail to such an address,
send to "[e-mail]".  For instance:

        [e-mail]

3.3 LAN Mail Hub Clients

Members of organizations whose LAN mail system is connected to the CompuServe
Mail Hub can be reached as well.

If they are connecting via Novell NetWare MHS, they have an address of the
form "name@workgroup", such as "JSMITH@ABC".  To send mail to such an address
from the Internet, send it to "[e-mail]".  For
instance:

        [e-mail]

If they are connecting via Lotus Development Corp.'s cc:Mail, they have an
address of the form "user name at post_office", such as "JSMITH at ABC".  To
send mail to such an address from the Internet, replace the "at" with the "@"
and send it to "name@post_office.CCMAIL.CompuServe.com".  For instance:

        [e-mail]

3.4 Unaccessible Addresses

Please note that a number of special destinations available to users of
CompuServe Mail are NOT accessible from the Internet, including:

        Facsimile Delivery              (e.g. FAX:)
        Postal Delivery                 (e.g. POSTAL:)
        Telex Delivery                  (e.g. TLX:)
        MCI Mail Delivery               (e.g. MCIMAIL:)
        Interconnected Public Service   (e.g. X400:)

3.5 CompuServe Member Directory

Please realize that only CompuServe Mail users have access to the
member directory.  Since there is no mechanism for you to obtain addresses
directly from CompuServe Incorporated, you should obtain this information from
the individuals with whom you wish to correspond.

3.6 Bounce and postage costs messages

Internet mail will arrive as postage due. The current mail rates are:

10 cents per message for the first 7500 characters
  2 cents per message for each additional 7500 characters
NB These costs are offset by a monthly $9.00 mail allowance.

A CompuServe member must enable the option to receive postage due messages if
they wish to receive mail from Internet sites.  Members can enable this function
by issuing the command GO ASCIIMAIL then choosing the menu item SET OPTIONS.

In addition to these steps members using any of the CIM programs or CompuServe
Navigator for Windows must enable receipt of postage due messages in their
Mail Preferences.


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4.0 How to get help from CompuServe

4.1 For CompuServe Information Service Subscribers

Customer Service is available via GO FEEDBACK or by sending electronic
mail to 70006,101.

4.2 From the internet

Address electronic mail to CompuServe Customer Service at
[e-mail].

4.3 By telephone

Customer Service may be contacted by phone at the following numbers.

United States..................800-848-8990
Outside U.S. including Canada..614-529-1340
Hours:  Monday - Friday 8:00 to 24:00 (Eastern)
        Saturday and Sunday 12:00 to 22:00 (Eastern)

United Kingdom freephone.......0800-289458
United Kingdom.................(44)(272)760680
Hours:  Monday - Friday 9:00 to 21:00
        Saturdays 10:00 to 17:00

Europe.........................(49)(89)(66)550222
Hours:  Monday - Friday 9:00 - 20:00 (CET)

Germany........................0130-86-4643
Hours:  Monday - Friday 9:00 - 20:00 (CET)

Paris, France..................3663-8131
Hours:  Monday - Friday 8:30 to 19:30

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5.0 CompuServe and the Internet

As of this writing CompuServe offers an electronic mail gateway to/from
Internet, telnet access -to- the Information Service, access to Usenet
Newsgroups, FTP and telnet access to Internet hosts from CompuServe and
access to the World Wide Web via PPP connections.

Access to Usenet Newsgroups was released to the general membership on 15AUG94.
GO CIS:USENET to access them from your CompuServe account.

Efforts have been made to ensure that the material posted by CompuServe
Members follows accepted practices e.g. sigs are limited to 4 lines,
crossposting is extremely limited and the news reader software discourages the
posting of messages that consist mainly of quoted material.

Information regarding netiquette will be presented to users when they first
access the product.

Newsgroups are accessible through all current versions of the CompuServe
Information Manager as well as through the ASCII interface.

All newsgroups that are part of the "big 7" are available.  Some controversial
groups such as alt.sex. groups are not included on the menus of newsgroups and
cannot be located by searching. If you know the full name of the group though
it is possible to subscribe.

Local and regional groups may not be available.  If there are groups you'd
like to have that aren't available drop a note to CompuServe via GO FEEDBACK.


5.1 World Wide Web and PPP

A World Wide Web page offering information about CompuServe Inc., The
CompuServe Information Service and other offerings is currently under
construction. If you'd like to view this work in progress the URL to the
CompuServe home page is <http://www.compuserve.com/>

Web access is now available via direct PPP!

Windows users have the option of using CompuServe's NetLauncher(tm) which
consists of the CompuServe Internet Dialer to handle Winsock.dll tasks
and the CompuServe Edition of Spry Mosaic.

Those members using their own winsock software can utilize it through
CompuServe as well.

Mac users can use MACTCP along with their Web browsing software.

OS/2 users can use the IBM TCP software and web browser.

Configuration information is available on CompuServe, just GO PPP.

Pricing! See Coming Attactions at end of FAQ for details.



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5.2 FTP

An outbound FTP service (from CompuServe -to- FTP sites) is now available
as part of the Information Service.

This service utilizes enhanced graphics to make navigation of
FTP sites simpler and requires The CompuServe Information Manager.
WinCIM v1.3 and later and MacCIM v2.4 and later include enhanced graphic
support.

Earlier versions of  WinCIM, MacCIM, DOSCIM, and CIM for OS/2 will be
able to use these areas. They simply won't display the enhanced graphics.

The ASCII interface is not supported at this time.

To access this area GO CIS:FTP while connected to the CompuServe
Information Service.

NB FTP access -to- CompuServe is not available.


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5.2 Outbound telnet

It's now possible to telnet from the CompuServe Information Service
to sites on the Internet.

This product can be used with either the ASCII or the CIM interfaces.


VT100 terminal emulation is highly recommended.

Current versions of CIM support a subset of VT100 that may not
be suitable for all sites.

Full VT100 support will be available in WinCIM v1.4 and MacCIM v3.0.

Telnet access now supports connections to specific ports.


5.4 Coming attractions

gopher should be available sometime in the first half of 1995.

WWW access is under development and should be released sometime in
the first half of 1995.

Price change in the works for Internet services.

The following excerpt is from CompuServe's press release:

        CompuServe Information Service members enrolled in the
standard pricing plan ($9.95/month) now automatically receive three
free hours of Internet access per month in addition to unlimited access
to more than 120 basic services.  Additional hours of Internet use by
these members will be billed at $2.50 per hour, an hourly rate that is the
lowest among online service providers.
        For high-volume Internet users, CompuServe introduces the
Internet Club, which offers 20 hours of access to Internet services for a
$15 monthly fee (in addition to the basic $9.95 monthly membership
fee).  Additional Internet hours will be billed to club members at $1.95
per hour.
        Savings under the new pricing formula range from 58 percent to
as much as 87 percent over CompuServe's previous Internet pricing,
depending on how many hours are used and whether or not the club
plan is chosen.  These prices apply to CompuServe's extensive 9.6 and
14.4 kbps local access, and will apply to 28.8 kbps access as it becomes
available.  Internet services are free of communication surcharges
through CompuServe's network in the United States, Canada and
Western Europe.  Supplemental network charges and any monthly fees
for access through other networks still apply.

Note:
        CompuServe's new Internet pricing applies to a wide variety of
Internet services, accessible three ways:

*       Members wishing to access Internet e-mail, USENET newsgroups,
file transfer protocol (FTP) and Telnet (remote login) can continue
to do so with the CompuServe Information Manager.  The new
pricing will be effective May 1.

*       For access to the World Wide Web, CompuServe members who are
Windows users can utilize NetLauncher for maximum ease of use.
The new pricing is effective today.

*       All members, including those running other operating systems or
hardware platforms such as OS/2 or Apple Macintosh, can choose
the direct PPP connection for access to the full range of Internet
resources using their choice of software, for the same pricing as the
other access methods, effective today.





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6.0 WinCIM

WinCIM 1.4 is now available. CompuServe members can download
the program from GO CISSOFT.

1.4 includes full VT-100 terminal emulation and support
for TCP/IP connections via Winsock.

In order to use Winsock support members need to make the following
changes to WinCIM's session Settings:

1) Specify Winsock as the CONNECTOR

2) Specify INTERNET as the network

3) Specify DIALTYPE of DIRECT

7.0 Comments

For information about CompuServe Inc or the CompuServe Information Service
please contact Customer Service at [e-mail]

Comments regarding this FAQ should be directed to me, Paul Oakes, at
[e-mail]

This FAQ may be redistributed provided that the complete
file including author credits is left intact.

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